Coming into the Debate meet this Saturday, I was guessing that I would just get my excellent ribbon and leave, but I don't know how I did it, but I captured the titled of 5th place in a little under 8 whole hours! Alright, my voice is still kind of messed up from it, and I have a wicked case of congestion, but looking at that trophy every morning is worth it.
I was kind of scared when I woke up on Saturday because I was feeling quite relaxed. I didn't do any case revisions, or evidence reading because I honestly was too tired to do anything else. I went to bed at around 11:30 and got up at the unholy hour of 5:00. I had some breakfast, got ready, got dressed and left around an hour later.
Rounds posted at 8 or so, but I had a hard time waking up. I got out my handy dandy Ipod and tried to get "pumped up" on the way there with some good punk rock tunes. Eventually, I realized that the room that I was scheduled in was in the other building. I grabbed my hat from my backpack and somehow made my way around 300 or so people. It was colder that I thought when I got outside and I was really happy when I got that hat on my head.
When I got into that building, I realized that the 700's were in the back of the building. Being the only one in the hallway (I'm a fast walker) I was there in no time. Seeing that no one was in the the hallway, I thought I would look into the room for a little (something you shouldn't do at a meet!). I knew that this would be an interesting meet because I seen a piano, composers and music notes; I would have never thought I would be debating in a Choir room! Eventually, my opponent and the judge showed up and the round got underway. Halfway though, I got somewhat scared because I lost confidence in my case; apparently the judge could see that in the round because my ballot said that I "could try to be more confident in my case because you are a good debater, you just have to believe in yourself."
After the round was over, I got kind of mad my teammates didn't say "How'd your round go?" so I grabbed a chair and parked it in front of the tin of mini Christmas cookies and ate about 5 of them. For the rest of the downtime between rounds, I listened to more music, and tested my friends to see if they would text me back in time before 2nd round posted (that never happened). Postings went up at 9:45ish and I went off to second round.
More waiting, different building same thing as last round. I talked to one of my friends for the better part of an hour just trying to make jokes and cut the nerves before I went off to speak. The room was a little bit different, but it still had the same "odd" vibe as the last room. We went in after the first wave of debaters left. The room this time it was a "Science research room/ library". The offices were being used and me and my friend really couldn't wait to start the round because one of the judges yelled "NO TALKING! ROUNDS ARE IN PROGRESS!" I whispered "see you latter" to my comrade, and shook my opponents hand. The guy was a pasty pale redhead with glasses, who said he was form the southern part of the state that I have never heard of or seen. As for manners, he was decent with them and the round was somewhat pleasing. I thought that I would have suffered a loss, but I really started to be angered when I realized that my opponent started to call me "He". Now, I have issues when people mistake me for a guy (If you see me, you will know that I look NOTHING like a guy) so I had to convince myself that my opponent was making a personal attack towards me. I really didn't know how to say it, but instead of making a big deal out of it, I kept the fury of the attack I had in mind and put it towards his case and then ended up winning. The judge gave me a good tip of advice, "Spend more of your time attacking your opponent and then tell me why you win." Gender jokes or not, this was a good round.
Got back around 11:15, talked to my debate buddy, and we looked over some evidence cards. I opened my backpack and took out my secret weapon, Monster Energy drink. I don't drink this often, but when I do it provides a tremendous boost of energy and confidence to myself and my case. A friend of mine that graduated told me to "drink it whenever I felt like I couldn't win". I slowly opened the can and watched the cold fog from the can float into the air.
After I had about a 4th of my drink, me and my buddy went to stand by the posting board. We were there for about 15 minutes and the big "boss" captain had to stand with us because "we can't do anything without the captains approval first" (I'm done with that witty comment). We met some kids from different schools, talked about how 1.75 is a high price for a burrito. And then out of the haughty captains mouth "It is bad luck to stand by the postings for too long." In my brain, I just gave a "Whatever" and walked it off. 15 minutes later, postings went up.
Back to the other building, I ran outside without my hat, beat the rush of people like last time, and arrived to my round 10 minutes before my opponent came. To be concise, I was surprised, you don't normally see Women who "dress down" at meets (by dressing down, I mean dress slacks, button up and converse. I normally do the colored button up with gray or black slacks and a suit jacket to "finish everything off)It was odd because my opponent kept staring at me, not like the "I'm going to destroy you" stare, but more of the "your kind of cool in a hot way" stare. It really didn't get to me because I get it all the time. It then occurred to them that they probably should say something: "Oh hey, how are you today?" "I'm fine" I didn't want to sound too arrogant, so I started to talk a little, "I see you got a newspaper, anything good?". They replied, "Not really, I guess this place is having a winter concert soon." I don't care for concerts really, (or not these kind")"That's neat." More awkward staring. I went back to my Ipod and fooled around with that for a while and then I seen that they left. I took a walk around break for 20 or so minutes with my energy drink and finished it all. When I came back, they were back reading that same newspaper. Out of boredom, I got all philosphocal and thought about my friend who lives on the other side of the country that is probably worried sick about me right now. I'm worried sick about them. (If you are reading this, I'm ok.)
Right when my thoughts started to get good, the door opened and the people from the last round came in. I sat down at my table, took a quick glance at my opponent, looked at my papers, and then started to see that my hands were shaking because I had the jitters. Eventually, I let that past me and I read my speech with confidene and poise and just felt proud of myself. I got mad beacuse, my opponet had this high pitched, wailing naisly voice that I didn't hear in our awakward conversation and I realised that this must be a front to make the judge vote or them. Anyway, I hammered in my points, and gave them a 5 point loss, something that is RARELY heard of in Debate, and something that I have NEVER dished out to anyone in my 3 years of debating. Anyway, I offered the post round hanshake, and I found it sickining because the other half of the handshake was slimely. I think I take that back.
Back to the meeting room, more cookies, some water, more music, more waiting. I was going to play a card game with my other friend, but somthing was telling me no. I looked around the room and just looked out the window in a trance like gaze and then I heard my name; "Hey! You made it!". "Into what?" I asked? "To Finals!". I never would have thought that I would make it into finals at this meet after loosing all 3 rounds last week and being pissed off at the whole team. I was just so exicted to go to finals I almost had a heart attack(what did I say about those drinks?)
Anyway, I threw down at finals, I did everythig like the last round that I won. The only thing that got me mad was the fact that my oppponet didn't see my evidence and said that I "didn't have any" and that "stats carry more weight than logic". If we wanted to think her way, then money would be better for you than food. I only did this once, but what I did was say "if you want to look at my opponents logic, then I don't deserve to win today just because she says so. Basiclly, I want you to throw out what she said [my opponent] about me having no case and no merit, I don't want to win on her rules, I want to win on the ones I offered which are fair for both sides, I'm leaving it up to you today, because we are pretty even as is, and I don't care if I loose, at I'll loose a good round."
You could see that they really wanted to give the win to me, but I lost by 1 point on two judges and 3 on another (you get 3 judges in a final round). I think the judge that gave me the 3 point loss was a newbie, because there really wasnt' anything on the ballot to say how I did. Anyway, when I was called up on stage I was nervous, and as they kept calling the names, I still stood up there, but once they called 5th place, I proudly took my trophy and left the stage knowing that I did the best that I have done so far.
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